#5 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Drafted in the third round, 76th overall, of the 2018 Draft, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev has risen quickly through the ranks of Toronto Maple Leafs prospects.
Der-Arguchintsev doesn’t have numbers that wow you – only 6 goals and 46 points in 62 OHL games last year – but he has so much talent that he has created a bit of a sensation, and whether or not he ever reaches his potential is one thing, but he’s got an incredibly high ceiling.
Der-Arguchintsev was the youngest player of his draft year, and he was only 150 lbs when the Leafs selected him. He is the kind of player the Leafs have targeted since Kyle Dubas took over – highly skilled, but flawed enough to scoop up later in the draft.
The flaw in this case – from what I can gather from reading about him and watching youtube videos – is that he is small and he doesn’t shoot enough.
He’s already – supposedly , least – put on ten pounds since being drafted, and you can teach a player to shoot. The hype on S.D.A – and this is Toronto, so take it for what it’s worth – is that he is a Mitch Marner-level passer.
The reason he comes so high on this list – even though he won’t turn 19 until September, and is likely several years away from a legitimate NHL shot – is the fact that he’s got at least one skill – passing – that is NHL level already, and promises to potentially be high-end.
I don’t want to add to the hype (who am I kidding, of course I do) but if you check out some of this guy’s highlights on youtube, you will be impressed. He’s got NHL talent, and if he can ever skate well enough to avoid getting smashed by guys a foot taller in the NHL, he’ll be a star.
But how likely is that to happen? Given his raw abilities, the fact that he isn’t even a point per game player in the OHL is concerning. With his talent the sky is the limit, but the honest truth is for a player with no shooting talent or size to be successful in the NHL, he’s got to be a better skater than SDA currently is.
The fact that if he does make it, he’s likely to be a star player gets him into the top five, but the fact that it’s a longshot for that to happen keeps him from being any higher.